TIME LORD is a simple yet sophisticated game that has a few basic mechanisms on which the rules rely. It is important to understand what is meant by abilities, how to use the dice, how distance and movement affect game play, and how to take turns before trying to learn the rest of the rules. Players, however, can largely make do with knowing only the few rules in this chapter. It is the referee who needs to have a more thorough grounding in the system.

Players and the referee should read this chapter carefully, or have it explained to them by someone who knows the rules. Rules in subsequent chapters can be skimmed by players to glean some knowledge of the game's workings; the referee needs to set aside time to read the rules at least once.

Experienced role-players will probably find that much of the structure of the game is familiar to them, in which case they should feel free to play after only skimming the rules. TIME LORD, however, does differ from many games in that the dice do not always have to be rolled to determine whether a character's actions succeed or fail, so this chapter is still recommended reading!

Abilities

Abilities simply represent a character's physical or mental capabilities. They indicate what he can or cannot do in terms of TIME LORD's rules. Each of a character's abilities is assigned a numerical value, typically from 1 to 6, where 1 indicates a low aptitude for the subject and 6 indicates a high aptitude. Where TIME LORD refers to a common ability, it is one of the eight abilities that are common to all characters: Strength, Control, Size, Weight, Move, Knowledge, Determination and Awareness. A special ability ian ability that enhances one of these eight common abilities: Marksmanship, for example, enhances a character's Control in combat and First Aid enhances a character's Knowledge when trying to heal an injured person. Special abilities typically have low values, usually 1 or 2, because their values are added to the appropriate common abilities instead of being used on their own.

To make it clear which value should be used, TIME LORD uses total ability to indicate that the sum of a common ability and an appropriate special ability should be used. If the rules say special ability, only the value of the special ability on its own should be used: the value of the common ability is not added.

Using Dice

Role-playing games can be complicated affairs, using many-sided dice in different ways to determine the outcome of events. The rules of TIME LORD, however, aim to make the game as simple as possible: only two six-sided dice, the type that can be found in a game of Monopoly or Risk, are used. Both dice are always rolled together and the result is always determined the same way.

Unlike most other games, where the numbers on the dice are added together, TIME LORD uses the difference between the numbers. The lowest number rolled is subtracted from the highest, and this value is known as the result. The result of rolling 1 and 6 is 5; the result of rolling 3 and 4 is 1; the result is 0 if a double 6 is rolled. The best result is 5; the worst result is 0.

In the course of the game, the referee will often ask players to roll the dice to determine whether their characters' actions succeed or fail. He decides how difficult it is to succeed and assigns a numerical value from 0 to 10 as the difficulty. He compares the numerical value of the character's ability with the difficulty and makes a note of the difference.

A character whose ability is greater than the difficulty automatically succeeds, and his player does not have to roll the dice. Whatever the character is doing is well within his ability to accomplish. It is possible, however, that the referee may tell him to roll the dice just for dramatic effect: the player, after all, does not know the difficulty he has to beat and rolling the dice introduces an element of doubt.

Beat The Difference

The dice always have to be rolled if the character's ability is equal to or less than the difficulty. There is a chance that the character may fail because he is attempting something that is beyond his ability. His player rolls the dice with the aim of beating the difference between the difficulty and the character's ability. He succeeds, in effect he beats the difference, if the result on the dice is greater than the difference between his ability and the difficulty. He fails if the result is less than or equal to the difference.

Whenever the rules ask a player to beat the difference, it means the dice must be rolled to beat the difference between the character's ability and the difficulty of the task he is attempting. In most cases, only the referee knows the difficulty and therefore the difference that must be beaten; players should trust his judgment.

Tegan and Nyssa are trying to catch up with the Doctor, who has sprinted off ahead of them across rough terrain. Tegan is coping admirably in her flat-soled air-stewardess's shoes, but Nyssa is finding it tough going in her Traken court shoes. They are confronted by a chasm that the Doctor has clearly jumped, judging from the scuff marks in the soil on both sides, and Tegan's player decides they have to jump it to follow him.

The referee has allocated a difficulty of 4 to the jump across the chasm, which he makes 5 in Nyssa's case because he knows she is wearing unsuitable shoes, and has decided the relevant ability to use is Control. Both characters have Control 4; Tegan's player has to beat a difference of 0 for his character to make the jump, but Nyssa's player needs to beat a difference of 1. After Tegan successfully leaps the chasm by rolling a 3 and a 1 to get a difference of 2, Nyssa's player decides that it is foolish to try the jump in shoes, takes them off, and leaps. The referee lowers the difficulty to 4, so Nyssa's player now needs to beat a difference of only 0.

Counters And Figures

Role-playing games such as TIME LORD do not have boards and can be completely played out in the imaginations of the players and referee. Sometimes, however, it helps to have a visual representation of the action so that everyone knows where everyone else is and does not feel unfairly treated because they cannot see what is going on. This is especially so if the characters get involved in a fight.

The referee should sketch a bird's-eye view of the characters' surroundings, whether it is outdoors or indoors, and mark on key objects such as the TARDIS, tables, benches or trees. The scale does not have to be accurate; all the plan has to do is allow players to envisage where they are. Counters, such as plastic tiddlywinks, Ludo counters or coloured pieces of cardboard, can be placed on the plan to show indicate the position of each character and enemies such as Daleks.

Miniature figurines can be used instead of counters ,  there is a wide selection of different types and makes available from specialist games shops. The ideal ones are made of metal and are 25mm to 30mm high; they contain lead and are not recommended for small children.

Distances (click here for a diagram)

TIME LORD uses neither metres nor yards to determine the distance between objects or the distance that characters can travel in a certain time. Distance in TIME LORD is measured in areas. An area is best thought of as being similar to a square on the board of a game such as Monopoly or Risk. One area can contain a number of characters, just as one square on the board can contain a number of playing pieces. The area just groups characters together to indicate the proximity of one to another. Characters can move from one area to another during their turns: some characters may be able to move further than others depending on their abilities.

When the referee draws up a plan of a location for the players he should divide it into areas. Instead of drawing up a plan, however, referees and players may find it more convenient to represent a location using a number of tear-off square notelets, such as those about 10cm square used for telephone messages. A nine-area location, for example, could be represented by nine notelets arranged in the right shape. More notelets can easily be added to a location to maintain a sense of distance, especially if the characters are running across countryside. Special features such as furniture or trees can simply be drawn on the notelets. The notelets should be arranged so that each row of squares is staggered.

The distance to an object or a person in areas affects the difficulty when a character tries to use certain abilities. This distance is the range, and is used in combat to modify the chances of hitting someone with a gun or blaster. It also affects the chance of spotting something or someone concealed in an area. Range is measured as the distance from one object to another, not including the area that the first one is in. Objects in the same area, therefore, are at a range of 0; objects in adjacent areas are at a range of 1.

Areas do not have a fixed size or shape: the referee decides how big they are and can even choose to have areas of widely differing sizes and shapes. An area purely indicates a tactically important space. In buildings, however, most areas will be about 3 metres by 3 metres ,  enough space for five or so people to move about and exist comfortably in.

Movement

The distance that a character can cover in one turn depends on his Move ability. Most humans have Move 3, although the First Doctor has Move 2 to account for the limitations of that particular generation. A character's Move, however, is not the number of areas he can move: it is purely his ability to cover distance. In this way, Move works the same as any other ability.

Each area that a character moves presents a cumulative difficulty. On ordinary, flat ground such as short grass or indoors, each area presents a difficulty of 1 to the character's movement. A character who wishes to move from one area to an adjacent area faces a difficulty of 1; a character who wishes to move three areas faces a difficulty of 3. It follows that any character can move a number of areas less than his Move in a turn: a character with Move 3 can move up to two areas. Such a character may still have an action in that turn, such as shooting a gun or evading an attack.

A character who wishes to move a number of areas equal to or greater than his Move ability must beat the difference between the cumulative difficulty of the terrain and his Move. This counts as the character's action for the turn. A character with Move 3 who wished to travel five areas would have to beat a difference of 2 to succeed. He would need to roll a difference of 3 or more on the dice.

If the player fails to beat the difference, his character moves only the number of areas he could ordinarily travel without needing to roll the dice. He still moves in the direction he intended, but is assumed to have stumbled or tripped in his effort to move faster. The character may not have another action whether he succeeds or fails in his attempt to move further than normal.

A character may have special abilities that enhance his Move ability. Most companions have the special ability of Running ,  most of them have plenty of opportunities to practise this skill in their adventures with the Doctor. If a character uses such a special ability it counts as his action for the turn.

Some of these special abilities are added not to the character's move but to the Move of a vehicle. A character with the Driving special ability adds his Driving to the Move of, say, a car or motorbike to travel further than normal. A character with Move 3 and Driving 1 would have Move 6 if he drove a Move 5 vehicle.

Terrain

Not every piece of ground is easy going: long grass, mud, scree and the rough, stony ground of a typical chalk pit all increase the difficulty of moving. The effects of terrain are always cumulative. A character who travelled across two areas of even ground (difficulty 1) and one area of scree (difficulty 2) would face a total difficulty of 4 to get into the scree-strewn area.

Each area of easy terrain has a difficulty of 1. Easy terrain includes open flat ground such as parkland, roads, pavements, floors in buildings and open woodland. Obstructed terrain has a difficulty of 2 an area and includes jungle, overgrown woodland, loose sand, hills, water, shingle beaches and bracken-covered or gorse-covered moorland.

Areas of terrain with a difficulty of 3 are rare. Difficulties as high as this are usually assigned by the referee to represent extraordinary situations, such as strong underwater currents or virtually impassable terrain, where progress is likely to be slow.

The difficulties given for terrain are only guidelines, because some characters may find certain types of terrain more difficult than others. Daleks, for example, can levitate up or down stairs, but this requires phenomenal amounts of energy and is accomplished only slowly; stairs are only a minor handicap to the Doctor and his companions.

Turns

Even a small group of people can cause an immense amount of confusion in real life if all of them decide to do something different at the same time. Their actions and reactions to other people, however, work themselves out without anyone having to tell the participants what they can or cannot do. TIME LORD is a game, however, and needs to regulate characters' actions so that the players and the referee know what happens and when it happens: TIME LORD does this by using turns.

Conventional boardgames usually use a turn to limit what one person can do; play then passes on to the next person. In TIME LORD, a turn is used to determine what all the players can do in the same amount of time.

There are two types of turn: the action turn and the research turn. Action turns are used to regulate hectic action such as combat or chases where the second to second decisions of the players and their opponents quickly change the situation. An action turn represents the passing of only a few seconds, the exact amount of time is not important because any activities that take place in action turns are quickly resolved.

Research turns mark the progress of time during an adventure. Each research turn represents 15 minutes of real time, although it may take more or less time than that to resolve the actions which take place during such a turn. Work that takes a long time to accomplish, such as scientific research or clearing away the rubble from rockfalls and cave-ins, is regulated by research turns.

Players will usually only be aware of action turns during the game. Their characters' actions are predominantly of the moment. It is the referee who uses research turns to mark the players' progress through an adventure and to determine when events happen, such as the time that a bomb is due to go off or the point at which invasion fleet of an alien menace arrives.

There is no set order of events in a turn. Each player says what he wants his character to do when asked by the referee, the results are worked out and then applied simultaneously. The referee decides when one turn ends and the next one begins.

Actions

Each character can in general use only one ability during a turn, and the use of such an ability is called an action. The players say what they want to do in a turn and the referee works out what this means in terms of actions. It may be that the referee has to rule it is impossible for a character to achieve all that his player wants him to do in one turn.

Most of the time it is possible to express what a player wants to do as the use of one of his character's abilities, such as Control, Marksmanship, Running or Science. A character who wants to shoot someone uses his Control or Marksmanship abilities; one who wishes to analyse a plague virus uses his Science ability.

Movement is an exception to the number of abilities that can be used in one turn. It is possible for a character to travel a limited distance ,  less than his Move ability in areas ,  and still use another ability. In this way it is possible for characters to close on an enemy and attack, or even to flee from an enemy before firing.

What a character can or cannot do in TIME LORD is determined by the abilities that define his physical and mental powers. Abilities represent a character's muscular power and toughness, his agility, his powers of deduction and so on. Each ability has a numerical value of one to six, with six being the best. Abilities not only indicate what a character can do; they are also a measure of his resistance to another character's abilities.

Eight abilities are common to all characters: the physical abilities of Strength, Control, Size, Weight and Move, and the mental abilities of Knowledge, Determination and Awareness.

Strength

Strength is the character's muscular power. It is his ability to lift and push objects as well as to withstand injury and to damage opponents in hand to hand combat. The ability is also a measure of a character's endurance. Strength determines the length of time for which a character could keep running while pursued by an enemy as well as how long he could hold his breath under water. The ability is as much a guide to fitness as it is power. Strength is the ability used to determine whether poisons take effect, and how quickly the character recovers consciousness or heals once he is wounded.

Control

Control is the measure of a character's agility. It represents suppleness, hand to eye co-ordination and whether the character is clumsy or articulate. The ability determines how accurate the character is at firing guns or striking with his fist or a melee weapon; it also determines his defence against attacks from opponents. Control is the ability used when a character has to leap chasms or climb trees or mountains.

Size

Size indicates a character's height and build. The ability is mainly used to determine how easy it is to hit a character. By default, however, the rules assume that most targets are the same size as an average person: Size 3. It is important to understand that the bigger a character's Size ability, the smaller he is: Size is just a measure of relative smallness. Small adults and children, for example, are Size 4; a large adult would be Size 3.

The ability is typically used to determine whether a character can crawl through ventilation shafts or narrow openings, where the Size of the opening is the difficulty of squeezing through. Big people, say Size 2 or 3, would find it harder to pass through the narrow openings that small or slightly built companions such as Jo Grant and Ace could wriggle through.

Weight

Weight is a measure of the mass of a character. It determines how easy it is to physically pick up the character and whether the character will fall through fragile floors or set off weight-sensitive traps. The ability is not measured in pounds or kilograms; each value represents a broad range of mass, so a character can be short and fat or tall and thin yet still have the same Weight. Most human characters have a Weight of 4. A small or lightly built human would have a Weight of 3; a heavily built human would have a Weight of 5. All objects also have Weight abilities which determines how easy they are to pick up or carry.

Move

Move is the character's ability to cover distance and is determined by the character's species. A human has a Move of 3, as does a Cyberman; both species move at about the same speed. These rates of movement, however, are slow. An animal such as a horse has a Move of 4; a human mounted on a horse would therefore be able to travel at the horse's rate rather than his slower speed. Particularly old or feeble characters may have a low Move to represent their frailty.

Knowledge

Knowledge is a character's ability to recall and understand information and to make sense of science and technology. The ability roughly indicates the type of civilization that a character comes from because it summarizes the experience a typical person from a particular time and place might be expected to have. Low Knowledge, for example, might indicate a character from a primitive background such as medieval Europe or even Roman times. A character with high Knowledge would typically come from a point in Earth's future, such as the twenty-first century. A character from the future, however, need not have a high Knowledge because a character could come from a regressive background: the Doctor's companion Leela, for example, is a savage yet is descended from technologically minded ancestors.

When the Doctor explains a complicated scientific principle it is the character's Knowledge ability that determines whether he understands the concept. If the Doctor has to analyse the weakness of an enemy so that he can develop a gadget to exploit it, his Knowledge determines how long it takes him to solve the problem. Knowledge also provides inspired insight: when the characters have done everything they believe is necessary to overcome an enemy and the referee knows there is something they have missed, it is Knowledge that gives the characters a chance of remembering or thinking of such details.

Knowledge also is a character's ability to believe or disbelieve in the improbable. Anyone who enters the TARDIS for the first time will find their Knowledge tested; it is the ability to doubt.

Determination

Determination is a character's mental resolve. It represents his ability to stick at something despite adversity. If a character encounters a hideous creature, Determination is the ability that decides whether the character faces it bravely or is terrified by its presence. Cowards or natural survivors usually have a low Determination. Determination is used to decide whether a character is influenced by the words or actions of another character. When facing the Master, it is a character's Determination that enables him to resist being hypnotized or to remain unmoved by the Master's entreaties. Determination is also the ability used to resist mind-controlling machines or to engage in psychic conflict.

Awareness

Awareness is a character's ability to react to his environment. It represents the character's senses and his ability to communicate, whether by speaking or through writing or art. When a character is searching for a hidden opening mechanism for a door or is trying to identify whether a group of people in the distance includes friends or enemies, it is the character's Awareness that decides if he succeeds or fails. Awareness also gives a character the chance to hear an enemy or creature that is creeping up behind him.

A character who is negotiating with other characters also uses the Awareness ability. He is trying to influence their behaviour, a skill which relies upon his ability to interpret their mood and upon his communicative skills. Great orators and diplomats would have high Awareness. High Awareness is also a characteristic of street-traders ,  people who are used to haggling about the prices of goods.

Other Abilities

Most characters have other abilities, called special abilities, in addition to the eight common abilities: special abilities represent extra skills or areas of knowledge that have been learned through hobbies, sports and work, or they can be unusual natural talents. The ability of Marksmanship, for example, would be appropriate for a character whose hobby is rifle-shooting or who had been in the army; someone who habitually carries lots of junk in his pockets might have the ability of Resourceful Pockets.

These special abilities typically have a value of 1 to 3. Each one is a specialization of one of the eight basic abilities. A special ability enhances the appropriate common ability when it is used; the value of a special ability is rarely used by itself. Marksmanship, for example, increases a character's Control when he fires a gun; Indomitable Will is added to the a character's Determination to resist attempts at hypnotizing him.

All abilities give the players information that can be used to develop the personalities of characters. Special abilities will often indicate quirks of behaviour that can be highlighted.

How To Use Abilities

Characters in a TIME LORD adventure will often be faced with challenges that they must overcome to progress further. The challenge may be to build an electronic device to defeat an enemy or simply to leap a chasm that runs across the only route to a destination. Whatever the nature of the challenge, a character has a chance of succeeding or failing in the attempt; this chance of success or failure depends upon his abilities.

The referee decides which of a character's abilities is appropriate to a challenge and also how hard it is to accomplish: this is the difficulty. Guidelines on assigning difficulties are given in the referee's section.

The player whose character is attempting the challenge compares the character's ability with the difficulty. The character automatically succeeds if his ability is greater than the difficulty: the challenge is judged to be easily within his ability.

There is a chance that the character may fail if the difficulty of the challenge is greater than or equal to his ability, and the player must roll the dice to determine whether the character succeeds or fails. He succeeds if the difference between the numbers rolled on the dice is greater than the difference between the difficulty and the character's ability. In effect he must beat the difference to succeed. The character fails and must suffer the consequences if the difference rolled on the dice is less than or equal to the difference between the difficulty and the character's ability. The player has failed to beat the difference.

Jo Grant is locked in a room which has a high window. Even by moving furniture she cannot quite reach the sill, so she decides to jump up to get a hand hold. The appropriate ability for this challenge is Control and the referee decides that it deserves a difficulty of 4. Jo's Control is 3, which means the difference is 1. The person playing Jo needs to beat a difference of 1 on the dice to succeed.

Using Special Abilities

Sometimes a character will be faced with a challenge that is appropriate to one of his special abilities. A character with Leaping, for example, could use this ability to help him jump a chasm; one with Escapology could apply the ability if he were held captive and tied up with ropes. The value of the special ability is added to the appropriate ability and the total is used to determine whether the character succeeds or fails.

Jo has Escapology 2 and Control 3, which gives her a total ability of 5 if she is held prisoner and tries to wriggle free of her bonds. She does not use the Escapology value of 2 on its own because it is a bonus that is added to her Control.

Special Abilities (click here to view Table 1)

The special abilities listed here are those skills or talents most likely to be encountered or used by the Doctor and his companions. The common ability that each one enhances is given in brackets.

Acting [Awareness]

Acting allows a character to play the part of another person, either by mimicking that person's voice or by physically impersonating him. The character may have to dress appropriately to be convincing in the role.

Acute Hearing [Awareness]

Acute Hearing enables a character to hear quiet sounds that other characters might not notice, such as an assailant approaching stealthily from behind or the gentle hiss of knockout gas escaping from a container.

Animal Empathy [Awareness]

A character with the animal empathy ability gets on well with animals and can persuade timid ones to approach him. Animals will regard such a character as friendly, although even a friendly, hungry predator can be dangerous.

Animal Handling [Determination]

Whether as an animal trainer, a circus performer or a zoo-keeper, the character has experience of handling animals such as horses, lions, tigers or elephants. Such a character could, given time, teach them to do tricks: he knows an animal's habits and instinctively knows how it will react in certain situations. The ability extends to reptiles, so a character with Animal Handling could be an exotic dancer whose act includes snakes!

Archery [Control]

Archery is the ability to shoot accurately with a bow, whether it is a longbow or a crossbow. The bow's Wounds rating is used instead of the character's should an arrow hit its target.

Artist [Awareness]

The Artist ability means the character can paint or draw well according to the concepts of art of his time. Artist allows a character to draw sketches of objects or people which will be generally recognizable and of the right proportion.

Astrogation [Knowledge]

Pilots of spaceships would be lost without Astrogation, an advanced form of navigation that allows explorers to find their way around the universe. A character with Astrogation knows how to use the advanced instruments necessary to set a course or to identify locations in space.

Bargaining [Awareness]

Bargaining is the ability to obtain a fair price for goods or services. A character with the Bargaining ability has an intuitive feeling of an object's worth and has the negotiating skills to obtain the right price. Bargaining, however, is effective only if each person involved can communicate with the other.

Bench-thumping [Control]

Anyone who can get a television set to work by hitting it or persuade a gadget to work by thumping the laboratory bench in exasperation has the Bench-thumping ability. It is not a skill that can be used on its own: anyone who resorts to Bench-thumping must first have tried to repair or make an object using an ability such as MacGuffin. The character has a second chance of making a gadget work using his Bench-thumping ability to determine whether he is successful.

Blunt Weapons [Control]

The Blunt Weapons ability allows a character to use any blunt weapon, such as a club, quarterstaff, mace or walking stick, in combat. The weapon's Wounds rating is used instead of the character's if the attack hits a target.

Brawling [Control]

Brawling is the dirty tricks form of close combat where anything goes. It gives the character the skill to use improvised weapons such as chairs and vases at an ability higher than his Control: the character's Brawling is added to his Control to give his combat ability. Players who have characters with this skill should try to think of clever manoeuvres to exploit an opponent's weaknesses.

Bureaucracy [Awareness]

Civil servants are masters of Bureaucracy: they are able to bamboozle ordinary people with the complexities of red tape and equally they are able to slice through bureaucratic restrictions to speed progress through the ranks of a large organization. A character can use Bureaucracy can be used confuse lesser bureaucrats by implying that he knows procedure better than they do and sending them off to do pointless tasks.

Cheat Death [Strength]

A character with the Cheat Death ability is either lucky or has a strong will to live. Cheat Death enables a character to survive damage that would ordinarily kill most people. Cheat Death increases a character's Strength when determining the number of Wounds that cause death. A character with Strength 3, for example, can take 6 Wounds before dying; one with Strength 3 and Cheat Death 1 can take 8 Wounds before dying. In effect, Cheat Death extends the range of Wounds at which a character is seriously wounded.

Command [Determination]

The ability to give orders is hereditary among nobility and is vital to army officers. With the right tone of authority it is possible that a character who shouts an order can convince anyone who is trained to obey commands to do as he wishes, such as salute or shoulder weapons.

Computing [Knowledge]

Computing is the ability to use computers to elicit information as well as to program them. Computing is also a character's ability at cracking computer security; Cryptanalysis might prove useful in addition.

Con [Awareness]

Con is the ability to pull the wool over other people's eyes. The Con ability might be used to convince security guards that the character is really a friendly agent in disguise; it could also be used to misdirect people by persuading them that a source of danger is in a different place from its real location.

Contortionism [Size]

Contortionism is the ability to make a character's build smaller by dislocating joints and twisting the body to occupy less space. Anyone who contorts their body using this ability has a Size equal to his usual Size plus their Contortionism. A character in this state, however, may not dodge in combat.

Cryptanalysis [Knowledge]

A character with Cryptanalysis is adept at formulating and breaking codes. Referees can choose to have the character solve a code by simply rolling the dice, or make the player solve it using his own brainpower with the help of a few hints to reflect the character's Cryptanalysis ability.

Cybernetics [Knowledge]

Cybermen are the undisputed masters of Cybernetics, the use of mechanical and electronic components to replace organic limbs and organs. Human scientists, however, have also studied the subject. The ability allows a character to build cybernetic parts and devices which imitate other abilities, such as a replacement eye which would allow the character to see infra-red light.

Dancing [Control]

A character with the Dancing ability can co-ordinate his movements to look graceful or at least vaguely with it on the dance floor. Whether the character is skilled at formal court dance of the 15th century, 1960s go-go or 1990s house, his peers at least will recognize his talent.

Detective Powers [Knowledge]

Detective Powers is the ability to notice tiny clues and to remember countless pieces of information which can later be pieced together to explain other characters' motives and actions. A player whose character is told vital information may forget it during the course of the game: if the character has Detective Powers then that player should be reminded of this information when it becomes important again.

Disguise [Awareness]

Disguise is the ability to change a person's appearance using masks, make-up and clothes so he resembles someone else. With this ability a character can effectively change his height, stance and mannerisms so they are unlike his own or like those of someone else. It does not include the ability to sound like another person, for which a character needs Acting. The Master frequently disguises other people to resemble himself so he can make his getaway.

Driving [Move]

Driving allows a character to control vehicles such as cars, motorbikes, jetbikes and hovercraft in difficult manoeuvres. A character who wished to tilt the car he was driving so that it could pass through a narrow opening would need to have the Driving ability. Driving also allows a character quickly to familiarize himself with a strange vehicle.

Edged Weapons [Control]

The Edged Weapons ability allows a character to use any weapon with a cutting edge or stabbing point such as a sword, axe or spear. The weapon's Wounds rating is used instead of the character's should the weapon hit a target.

Electronics [Knowledge]

Electronics is the ability to understand electronic components and circuits, what they do, and how to build new ones or alter existing ones.

Eloquence [Awareness]

Eloquence is the ability to use the correct form of address when negotiating with nobles. It implies a knowledge of procedures, and a character with this ability will rarely put a foot wrong when addressing important people.

Engineering [Knowledge]

The Engineering ability gives a character an understanding of the physical properties of materials such as metals, plastics and ceramics and how such properties can be employed in construction. On an immediately practical level, it allows a character to assess how much time it will take for pursuers to cut through bulkheads or airlock doors.

Escapology [Control]

Escapology is the ability to escape from bonds such as ropes or chains. It combines subtle body movements, contortionism, lockpicking and knowledge of knots so that the character is in the best position to escape from his bonds once his captors are no longer paying attention. Jo Grant learned Escapology as part of her training as a UNIT agent, although even she found some knots were difficult to untie quickly.

Explosives [Knowledge]

Explosives is the ability to place explosive charges and bombs in the position where they are likely to do most damage. It is also the ability to develop new types of explosive. Ace is the Doctor's companion who knows most about explosives; she developed her own, nitro-nine. Nitro-nine has proved usefully destructive at times, although the Doctor usually frowns upon its use.

Fast Reactions [Control]

A character with Fast Reactions can act before any character without this ability. Fast Reactions would allow a character to strike another in combat and resolve the effects before his opponent had a chance to strike back: it breaks the rule that all combat is simultaneous. When a character with Fast Reactions encounters another character with Fast Reactions, the one with the highest special ability reacts first.

First Aid [Knowledge]

First Aid is the commonsense application of life-saving techniques or medication to keep an injured or unconscious person alive or prevent him from getting worse. First Aid is the ability to bandage and splint injuries; it indicates that a character knows how to handle badly injured patients. A character uses his total ability of Knowledge and First Aid to determine whether he successfully applies the techniques, but heals only an amount equal to his special ability on its own.

Fisticuffs [Control]

Fisticuffs is a gentlemanly fighting ability: the character adheres to rules such as those formulated by the Marquess of Queensberry when he resorts to combat. Only the character's fists are used, and no dirty tricks are allowed! Fisticuffs allows a character to strike at an opponent and to block incoming blows. A character using Fisticuffs inflicts Wounds equal to half his Strength,

Gambling [Awareness]

A character with Gambling is skilled at games of chance, whether by luck or through an ability to cheat without being noticed. Gambling also gives a character a chance of noticing whether another gambler is cheating.

Gloating [Determination]

Gloating is a trait of cruel or evil characters such as the Master which exhibits itself when the Doctor or his companions are trapped or about to die. A character with this ability may be compelled to gloat in such circumstances, giving his captives time to formulate a particularly cunning plan of escape.

Gymnastics [Control]

A character with Gymnastics is supple and fit with a well-developed sense of balance. Gymnastics enhances a character's Defence against enemies' attacks and improves his chance of leaping gaps or obstacles.

History [Knowledge]

The History ability indicates that a character is well versed in events from his past: he can remember key dates as well as details of older civilizations' lives.

Hypnotism [Determination]

Hypnotism is the ability to dominate the will of another person or to put someone into a trance. A character with this ability may need the help of an object to hypnotize someone, or they may be able to do it just through the power of words. The Doctor needed a spinning disc to hypnotize Aggedor on Peladon; the Master's technique is simply to say: 'I am the Master and you will obey me.'

Independent Spirit [Determination]

Anyone with Independent Spirit is not easily persuaded to do things against their will: although they may be asked or told to do something, they will usually rebel and follow their own course of action. Independent Spirit increases a character's resistance to Con or Command, for example.

Indomitable Will [Determination]

A character with Indomitable Will is not easily overcome by hypnotism or even the ubiquitous mind probe, and remains in firm control of his mind. The ability is added to Determination to resist the effects of hypnotism and so on.

Intuition [Awareness]

A character with Intuition can sense when something is not quite right. Someone may have been in a room before he entered or that person might still be there, waiting behind a filing cabinet ready to attack the character. The difficulty of sensing something depends largely upon the extent to which it would affect the character.

Iron Constitution [Strength]

An Iron Constitution means a character can resist the effects of damage and poisons and cope with alien environments better than other people. A character with Iron Constitution can also endure long walks or run for long periods without tiring. The Iron Constitution ability is added to a character's Strength whenever he has to resist the effects of wounds or poison.

Juggling [Control]

The ability to juggle objects requires good hand to eye co-ordination. Its main use is for entertainment, but two characters with Juggling could accurately throw objects between them to confuse or annoy a villain.

Keen Sight [Awareness]

A character with Keen Sight can spot objects at a greater distance than other characters and has a greater chance of finding objects that can be located by sight. Characters with Keen Sight, however, are discomforted by bright lights and they cannot see in complete darkness.

Law [Knowledge]

Law is the ability to understand and debate legal points and to present cases. It may prove useless, depending on the laws of the society in which a character with this ability finds himself.

Leaping [Control]

Whether through athletic training or natural ability, the character is adept at leaping great distances. Gaping chasms present little challenge to such a character, who can also jump up to grab ledges, chandeliers or tree branches.

Linguistics [Knowledge]

Linguistics is the ability to learn and understand languages. It is rarely needed because many of the people that the Doctor and his companions encounter speak English. Should communication prove impossible, however, Linguistics allows a character to study and learn a language so that basic desires and intents can be expressed.

Lockpicking and Safecracking [Control]

Whether equipped with a bent hairpin or skeleton keys, a character with the Lockpicking and Safecracking ability can open mechanical locks and break into safes with combination locks. The character must have a tool of some type with which he can open the lock: it is impossible with only fingers. Electronic, technologically advanced locks need to be tackled by someone who is adept at Electronics or MacGuffin.

Marksmanship [Control]

A character with the Marksmanship ability can shoot firearms or blasters accurately. In essence, all guns work in the same way, and provided that a character understands how a primitive or technologically advanced gun works he can apply his Marksmanship ability in combat. The weapon's Wounds rating is used instead of the character's if the attack hits a target.

Martial Arts [Control]

Martial Arts is a specialized form of unarmed combat which allows a character to make deadly attacks with his fists and feet as well as to dodge and block incoming attacks. There are many types of martial arts, and a player should try to make the one his character practises distinctive. The third Doctor, for example, perfected Venusian Karate, enabling him quickly to knock out or disable opponents. A character inflicts Wounds equal to his Strength when making a Martial Arts attack. If he wishes to only slightly injure an opponent he can choose to inflict Wounds equal to half his Strength.

Mathematics [Knowledge]

Mathematics is the ability to perform mental gymnastics with numbers and abstracts. It is invaluable when trying to set co-ordinates for the TARDIS or to calculate how long it will take to travel anywhere. Mathematicians are almost human in comparison with statisticians.

MacGuffin [Knowledge]

MacGuffin is the ability to build gadgets out of available parts to be able to defeat an enemy or get out of sticky situations. It represents scientific knowledge, inspiration and a grasp of the weaknesses of an enemy. The Doctor might use his MacGuffin ability to convert a transistor radio into a short-range radio transmitter or to convert a length of electrical cable, a transformer and an assortment of electronic parts into a force-field generator.

Mechanics [Knowledge]

Engines and machines are complicated, but a character with Mechanics understands them. With the right parts such a character could build an engine or repair one.

Medicine [Knowledge]

A character with Medicine knows how to use drugs or plants to cure diseases, counter poisons or to speed healing and recovery. If a patient's condition is unusual or unknown, such a character may have to undertake research in a laboratory before he knows which drug will be effective.

Mountaineering [Control]

The Mountaineering ability indicates that a character can climb awkward rock faces and knows how to tackle easy ones using only handholds.

Musicianship [Awareness]

Musicianship is the ability to play musical instruments. A character with this ability should choose which instrument he can play, such as guitar, piano or recorder. The ability to play one kind of instrument may be applicable to another: a character who could play the guitar should also be able to adjust to a lute.

Navigation [Knowledge]

Navigation is the ability of a character to use the stars that are visible from his native planet to chart a course over land or sea.

Occultism [Knowledge]

A character with Occultism knows about the white and black magic practices of witches, druids and the like. The ability also implies a familiarity with superstitions and old sayings.

Pain Resistance [Strength]

Pain Resistance is the ability to tolerate the effects of wounds and torture. It increases a character's chance of resisting the effects of wounds when they are inflicted. The ability is of no use if the character has succumbed to his wounds; the character must be conscious to use it.

Photographic Memory [Knowledge]

Photographic Memory is the ability to observe and remember in perfect detail diagrams, rooms, faces, reams of secret plans and the shape and size of objects. It is purely a visual skill and does not imply an ability to remember names unless they have been printed next to a picture.

Piloting [Move]

The Piloting ability allows a character to fly aircraft, rockets or spaceships. If the manner of travel is more advanced than that associated with the technology of the character's time and space, he will find it hard to fly the vehicle, although he would undoubtedly be able to help another more skilled pilot.

Poisons [Knowledge]

This ability indicates the character knows how to formulate or extract poisons. He can also produce antidotes.

Precision [Awareness]

The character with this ability is uncannily accurate at judging distances, angles and speeds.

Pseudoscience [Knowledge]

Pseudoscience is the ability quickly to come up with convincing scientific arguments or explanations which either sound impressive or are accurate but confusing. A character with Pseudoscience has the ability to baffle people with science. The Doctor once started to explain the Blinovitch limitation effect to Jo Grant about time travel in The Day of the Daleks; pseudoscience could have been used to come up with name of the effect and provide a brief explanation. Pseudoscience can be made into a personality trait of a character: the Doctor would not explain that a piece of apparatus had blown a fuse without first declaring that the temporal feedback circuit had overloaded.

Quick Recovery [Strength]

A character with Quick Recovery heals or recovers consciousness faster than most people. The Quick Recovery ability is added to the character's Strength whenever he tries to regain consciousness or makes a healing roll.

Refined Palate [Awareness]

A character who has a Refined Palate has an exceptionally well developed sense of taste. Such a character appreciates good food and drink and can sense when something doesn't taste as it should do. A character with a Refined Palate in ancient times would probably find himself employed as a food-taster.

Regenerative Powers [Strength]

Regenerative Powers is the ability to self-heal or repair damaged parts of the body. K9's use of this ability, for example, extends to repairing only his electronic circuits; a Time Lord uses this ability to change his form to overcome massive tissue damage. Regenerative Powers typically allow repairs or healing to occur at the end of each research turn.

Resourceful Pockets [Awareness]

Resourceful Pockets is a character's ability to find useful objects in his pockets. The item need not be recorded on the character sheet: it is assumed that the character habitually carries an assortment of junk in his pockets. In The Ark in Space, the Doctor produces a cricket ball for Harry Sullivan to throw at a panel; more routinely it might be used to produce a small bag of jelly babies as required.

Riding [Move]

Riding is the ability to control and stay on animals such as horses with or without stirrups, saddles and reins. It also allows a character to spur a mount to move faster; the character's Riding is added to the animal's Move.

Robotics [Knowledge]

Robotics is the ability to build and program robots as well as to understand how robotic minds think. It can also be used to repair robots and alter their personalities.

Running [Move]

A character with the Running ability is especially quick. Instead of moving normally he can opt to run: his Move is increased by the value of his Running ability.

Sailing [Move]

Sailing is the ability to handle small sailing craft such as dinghies, yachts and windsurfers.

Science [Knowledge]

Science is the ability to understand and apply the principles of the main sciences. Players may specify which sciences their characters are particularly adept at, such as physics, chemistry or biology.

Screaming [Awareness]

Screaming is the ability to make a noise that can be heard through miles of catacombs, tunnels or ventilation shafts. Its main purpose is to alert the Doctor that one of his companions is in distress, but original uses of this ability shouldn't be discounted: Victoria's screams were amplified to kill a parasitic weed in Fury from the Deep.

Sense of Balance [Control]

A character who has Sense of Balance is perfectly at ease on a tightrope or on a narrow ledge because their natural balance is so good that they are unlikely to fall. Sense of Balance also allows characters to perform tricks such as spinning plates on poles or to run egg and spoon races with little danger of breaking anything.

Sensitive Nose [Awareness]

A character with a Sensitive Nose has a keen sense of smell. This might allow him to smell gas or chemicals before they can harm him, or could be used to appreciate food and drink. A character with this ability should avoid noisome locations and unwashed barbarians.

Serendipity [Awareness]

Serendipity is the ability to make happy chance finds. A character may make a mistake or clumsily knock over something; although it may seem disastrous at the time the event does some good. A character with Serendipity can make the find or be responsible for events leading up to it. Jo Grant, for example, spilled a jar of powdered mushrooms over the Doctor's microscope slides in The Green Death which led to the discovery that the fungus was deadly to a species of mutant giant maggots.

Singing [Awareness]

A character with Singing has received vocal training. He has a strong, melodic singing voice which other people regard as pleasant to listen to.

Sleight of Hand [Control]

Sleight of Hand is the ability to manipulate objects without being noticed: it is typically used to pick a person's pockets, to palm small objects or even to cheat people at cards.

Special Immunity [Strength]

Special Immunity conveys additional, sometimes only partial, resistance to a type of attack or substance. A character could be immune to the effects of a specific poison, for example, or a type of energy. Cybermen, for example, have a Special Immunity to heat and a Special Immunity to cold, although the extremes of either will ultimately affect them.

Sports [Control]

A character with Sports should choose a sport at which he is adept, such as cricket, football or rugby. In situations where skills learned in the sport could help the character, the sports ability is added to the character's Control.

Stealth [Control]

Stealth is the ability to move quietly, to hide in cover or to do both at once. Characters who are trying to spot someone who is hidden or moving stealthily match their Awareness against the character's Stealth.

Striking Appearance [Awareness]

Attractive or handsome characters have the Striking Appearance ability. This affects how other characters react to them; a companion with a pretty face might be more able to convince a security guard to let her pass.

Strong Passion [Determination]

A character with the Strong Passion ability has a strong emotional attachment for someone. If the object of their affections is ever in danger, the Strong Passion ability is added to the character's Determination to give them extra mental staying power.

Swimming [Move]

Characters are assumed to be able to swim to a limited degree; those with the Swimming ability can swim well and cope with strong currents.

TARDIS [Knowledge]

TARDIS is the ability to operate the TARDIS's controls and, when something goes wrong, to work out what is needed to repair it. Although a character may have the TARDIS ability, this does not mean he can fully control it. Characters without the TARDIS ability cannot do much more than open the doors of this time and space machine.

Temporal Science [Knowledge]

Temporal Science is the ability to understand the theories and limitations of time travel.

Thrown Weapons [Control]

A character with the Thrown Weapons ability can accurately throw weapons such as javelins, axes and daggers. The ability also applies to rocks and other improvised weapons such as bits of furniture or ornaments. The weapon's Wounds rating is used instead of the character's if the weapon hits its target.

Tracking [Awareness]

Tracking is the ability to follow the trail of a person or animal by identifying footprints or noticing clues such as broken twigs and bent blades of grass.

Transmat [Knowledge]

Transmat is the ability to operate and understand Transmat, an instant form of travel by matter transmission.

Ventriloquism [Awareness]

A character with Ventriloquism can throw his voice to make it seem as if the sound comes from a source some distance away.

Wilderness Lore [Knowledge]